‘Money is money’: US, UK firms still coming to Hong Kong, commerce chief says

Hong Kong's Commerce Secretary, Algernon Yau Ying-wah, recently revealed that US, UK, and Singaporean companies have been key sources of inbound foreign capital in the city this year, despite geopolitical uncertainty. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Yau said that 2026 was expected to be a challenging year due to the geopolitical situation, but the government's investment promotion arm, InvestHK, had assisted 516 overseas and mainland Chinese companies in establishing or expanding businesses in Hong Kong from January to August 2025.

Of these, 27 were from the US, 21 from the UK, 307 from the mainland, and 29 from Singapore. Yau emphasized that Hong Kong remains a top destination for initial public offerings and that the city's geopolitical stability, safety, and freedom have convinced businesspeople to invest despite the changing geopolitical landscape. Yau also highlighted the Greater Bay Area, a central government initiative to link Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong province into a unified economic hub, as a significant driver of business interest in Hong Kong.

The number of companies in Hong Kong with mainland or overseas parents increased by 11% to 11,070, with 28% being from the mainland. Yau noted that Hong Kong's financial market was about 10 times larger than Singapore's and 20 times larger than Dubai's, giving Hong Kong a strong competitive edge. The GoGlobal Task Force, established in October 2023, has supported over 340 mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding businesses in Hong Kong, bringing in about HK$57.4 billion in direct investment and creating around 7,800 jobs.

Yau also emphasized the importance of media groups expanding overseas to share successful stories about Hong Kong and establish cultural links.